We Can Learn A Lot From the Psychiatric Ward

A psychiatric ward is a section of the hospital where people with mental illnesses are treated . Have you been to a psychiatric ward ?...I have... Did you notice how the patients are so close & united among each other ?

In the "normal" world , there are many problems such as wars , religious extremism , terrorism , political issues in many nations & so on...yet the people who cause these problems claim to be normal & right .

Still , in a certain way , I find psychiatric patients to be more sane than the "normal" troublemakers of the world .

Sometimes , when the doctor is not around , & the patients are not sedated or put to bed , the patients like to gather around & talk stories .

You might even see a few of them in a group sharing a cigarette & smoking together . They don’t mind sharing their stuff or eating or drinking from each others plates or cups .

Point is , psychiatric patients don't see each others colour , race , or religion . Yet , we the "normal" people are the one's arguing over race & religion & they are so happy with one another .That's the whole beauty of them .

So who is crazier ,...them...or us ?

Stop Discriminating , Stop Fighting , Stop Arguing , and Unite

A few decades ago , Malaysia was different . I'm talking in terms of unity . People of different races and religions were much more united back then compared to today . Malays , Chinese and Indians mixed around and played together so well . They were truly Malaysians back in the day . We did not see each other's colour as it didn't matter .

However , through the years , people slowly got divided and were only sticking to their own race . Why ?...I personally think it is because of politics in which certain politicians had their own agenda's and wanted power . They put themselves first before the people and nation . Slowly this resulted in disunity among the people .

Now we hardly see young children mixing with other races . Even at school level they only mix with their own race . Now , we're classifying ourselves as Malay , Chinese or Indian . This is just not right . We are all Malaysians .

All it takes is a simple change in mindset . Forget about the politicians who are always fighting among and for themselves to get power . Don't assume everything they say is true . Truth is the way you see it in your own perception . Think for yourself and form your own opinions . So lets just set aside our differences and unite for our own sake and also for the future of our nation .

Nation Building and Branding Malaysia

We have much to offer...but are we selling ourselves short ?

  Singapore is known to be clean and efficient as well as an international port and a world-class financial centre in South-East Asia .

  Meanwhile, India is known as an information technology (IT) hub with a large pool of IT talent much sought after in the developed world, especially the United States , parts of Europe and even in this region .In fact, it was reported that 70% of the IT experts in the Silicon Valley hail from India .

  China can pride themselves as a leader in low-end manufacturing and may achieve more sophisticated manufacturing capabilities in future . Even now you can see for yourself...almost everything you see has the label...'Made in China' .

  Even in the developed world, Germany is well known for machine automation and precision tool manufacturing, while Switzerland is famous for its prestigious watches, and Japan and South Korea for IT as well as car manufacturing .

  When we mention Malaysia , foreigners are not as attracted as before to work , play or do business here...unless political jostling , corruption and throwing wild accusations are what Malaysians want to be known for to the world . Moreover , lately we have been making headlines worldwide for all the wrong reasons .

To foreigners well acquainted with Malaysia, they say the country is a hidden gem waiting to be polished and discovered, as it has many attractive features such as beautiful beaches and resorts, good infrastructure, affordable cost of living, and a skilled workforce with the ability to speak several languages.

  They also say the country is strategically located in the heart of South-East Asia, making it an obvious choice for multi-nationals with regional businesses to be headquartered here. Yet , it is unfortunate that we have not fully capitalised on the opportunity even after 50 years of independence to tell the world that Malaysia is more than a destination for rest and recreation . However, before we start branding ourselves in this way, it’s best that we get our act together to ensure that our public delivery system and service is up to international standards.

Article modified from The Star of 5 July 2008